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Baked » Recipes » Biscuits, Muffins, and Scones

Orange Cranberry Scones With Cranberry Glaze

Published: Mar 5, 2021 · Modified: Jan 4, 2023 by Baked · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

With orange zest, fresh cranberries, and cranberry glaze, orange cranberry scones are a pretty way to enjoy a simple, classic baked treat.

Orange cranberry scones finished with cranberry glaze.

We love cream tea scones because using high-fat cream increases both moisture and tenderness. When you make these orange cranberry scones, be sure to keep your cream, butter, and even your flour, super cold to ensure maximum flakiness.

If you have time, make a batch of homemade vanilla sugar with vanilla bean. It adds a soft and lovely vanilla flavour to the scone base!

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Tips & Notes
  • Substitutions
  • Recipe

Fresh cranberries to make orange cranberry scones.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

Ingredients

Ingredients to make orange cranberry scones.

Method

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice ¾ cup (75 g) of the cranberries in half. Reserve the other ¼ cup (25 g) of cranberries for the cranberry glaze.

A small bowl of halved cranberries next to a knife and a smaller bowl of whole cranberries.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and baking powder.

  • A bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.
  • A bowl of mixed dry ingredients.

Add the butter to the bowl. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut the cold butter into the flour.

  • Chunks of butter on top of flour in a glass bowl.
  • A hand using a pastry blender to cut butter into flour.

Continue to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. The butter pieces should be approximately the size of green peas or smaller.

A bowl of flour with butter cut in.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the cream, orange zest, vanilla, and the ¾ cup of halved cranberries to the flour mixture.

Dry ingredients with cream, orange zest, and fresh cranberries about to be mixed in.

Mix everything gently and quickly with a fork, then switch to mixing with your hands until the dough just comes together.

  • A hand mixing dough with a fork.
  • A hand reaching into a large glass bowl to gather dough.

Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour. Using your fingertips, pat the scone dough into an 8-inch (20-cm) round disc.

  • A lump of dough on a lightly floured surface.
  • Hands pressing dough into a disc shape.

A bench scraper can really come in handy for pressing and smoothing the edges of your dough.

A hand using a bench scraper to smooth the edges of a disc of dough for orange cranberry scones.

Cut the dough into eight wedges and gently transfer them to the parchment lined sheet.

A disc of dough cut into eight wedges.

Brush the top of each scone with a bit of the 1 tablespoon of cream. Once you’ve brushed the top of each scone, use any leftover cream to brush the sides.

A hand brishing cream on unbaked scones.

Place the scones in the preheated oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool the scones on the baking sheet set on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then transfer the scones to the rack itself to cool completely. Finish with cranberry glaze once cool.

A pan of baked orange cranberry scones.

Make The Cranberry Glaze

Combine the reserved ¼ cup (25 g) of fresh cranberries and 1 tablespoon of milk in a blender or food processor.

Fresh cranberries and milk in the bowl of a small food processor.

Purée the cranberries then press them through a small strainer, reserving the pink milk.

  • Processed cranberries in the bottom of a small food processor.
  • Cranberry juice and milk in a bowl.

Add the pink milk to the powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon at a time, stirring between each addition, until the icing reaches a consistency you like. Drizzle the cranberry glaze over the cooled scones.

A hand drizzling glaze over a pan of baked orange cranberry scones.

Tips & Notes

Taking the time to slice the cranberries in half really does make a difference! It doubles the amount of berries in each scone and cuts down on bursts of large tart pockets of juice. This helps create a better balance with the orange zest! Slicing the cranberries literally takes minutes.

Cold butter is essential to create layers, however a good alternative is to cut room temperature butter into your flour, then freeze the bowl of flour and butter for 30 minutes before adding the cream, orange zest, and cranberries.

You can cut the scones into any shape you like — circles are pretty classic — however, the baking time make change. Just keep your eye on the oven for the tops or edges to start turning gold and remove them from the oven.

Don’t skip brushing the tops of the scones with cream before baking. The cream adds moisture, richness, and makes for a more tender scone.

Orange cranberry scones are best eaten the day they’re baked, however, you can store them in an airtight container or a large zip top bag on the counter for up to two days.

These scones freeze well! A good way to do this is to place the scones on a baking sheet in the freezer after drizzling with glaze. Once frozen, transfer the scones to a large zip top bag for up to two months. To thaw simply leave at room temperature until defrosted, or place in the microwave or oven at 350ºF (180ºC) until heated through.

Substitutions

To make a vegan version of these orange cranberry scones simply substitute cold vegan butter for regular butter, vegan creamer for heavy cream, and plant-based milk for dairy. Other than that follow the recipe as written!

If you don’t love cranberries, consider swapping them out for any other berries you like. Raspberries or blueberries are great! Feel free to substitute them in the glaze as well.

Orange and cranberry is a classic, festive combination, however, even if you omit the cranberries you’ll still have a tasty orange cream scone.

Orange cranberry scones finished with cranberry glaze.

More Scone Recipes

Blueberry White Chocolate Scones

Vegan Scones With Strawberry Bay Leaf Jam

Blue Cheese Scones With Prosciutto

Raspberry Oat Scones

Recipe

Orange cranberry scones finished with cranberry glaze.

Orange Cranberry Scones With Cranberry Glaze

5 from 5 votes
Author: Sophie Mackenzie
Yield: 8
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 16 mins
Total Time 31 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comments

Description

 

With orange zest, fresh cranberries, and cranberry glaze, orange cranberry scones are a pretty way to enjoy a simple, classic baked treat.

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Mixing bowl
  • Pastry blender
  • Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  • ¾ cup 35% heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing scones
  • Zest of one orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, divided
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Slice ¾ cup (75 grams) of the cranberries in half. Reserve the other ¼ cup (25 grams) of cranberries for the cranberry glaze.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and baking powder.
  • Add the butter to the bowl. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut the cold butter into the flour until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
  • Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
  • Add the cream, orange zest, vanilla, and the ¾ cup of halved cranberries to the flour mixture.
  • Mix everything gently and quickly with a fork, then switch to mixing with your hands until the dough just comes together.
  • Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour. Using your fingertips, pat the scone dough into an 8-inch (20-cm) round disc.
  • Cut the dough into eight wedges and gently transfer them to the parchment lined sheet.
  • Brush the top of each scone with a bit of the 1 tablespoon of cream.
  • Once you’ve brushed the top of each scone, use any leftover cream to brush the sides.
  • Place the scones in the preheated oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden.
  • Cool the scones on the baking sheet set on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then transfer the scones to the rack itself to cool completely. Finish with cranberry glaze once cool.

Make The Cranberry Glaze

  • Combine the reserved ¼ cup (25 grams) of fresh cranberries and 1 tablespoon of milk in a blender.
  • Pure the cranberries as smooth as you can, then press them through a small strainer, reserving the pink milk.
  • Add the pink milk to the powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon at a time, stirring between each addition, until the icing reaches a consistency you like.
  • Drizzle the cranberry glaze over the cooled scones.

Notes

Taking the time to slice the cranberries in half really does make a difference! It doubles the amount of berries in each scone and cuts down on bursts of large tart pockets of juice. This helps create a better balance with the orange zest! Slicing the cranberries literally takes minutes.
Cold butter is essential to create layers, however a good alternative is to cut room temperature butter into your flour, then freeze the bowl of flour and butter for 30 minutes before adding the cream, orange zest, and cranberries.
You can cut the scones into any shape you like — circles are pretty classic — however, the baking time make change. Just keep your eye on the oven for the tops or edges to start turning gold and remove them from the oven.
Don’t skip brushing the tops of the scones with cream before baking. The cream adds moisture, richness, and makes for a more tender scone.
Orange cranberry scones are best eaten the day they’re baked, however, you can store them in an airtight container or a large zip top bag on the counter for up to two days.
These scones freeze well! A good way to do this is to place the scones on a baking sheet in the freezer after drizzling with glaze. Once frozen, transfer the scones to a large zip top bag for up to two months. To thaw simply leave at room temperature until defrosted, or place in the microwave or oven at 350ºF (180ºC) until heated through.

SUBSTITUTIONS

To make a vegan version of these orange cranberry scones simply substitute cold vegan butter for regular butter, vegan creamer for heavy cream, and plant-based milk for dairy. Other than that follow the recipe as written!
If you don’t love cranberries, consider swapping them out for any other berries you like. Raspberries or blueberries are great! Feel free to substitute them in the glaze as well.
Orange and cranberry is a classic, festive combination, however, even if you omit the cranberries you’ll still have a tasty orange cream scone.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
Did you make this recipe?Let us know on Instagram @baked_theblog or tag #bakedtheblog!
« Vegan Vanilla Buttercream
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes »

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